Rail-fastening device.



H. M. MASON & F. OHE.

RAIL FASTENING DEVICE.

APPLIOATIO! rum: an 1, 1909.

.Patenteii Nov. 23, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT osnrcs.

HENRY M. MASON AND FRED OI-IE, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

RAIL-FASTENING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY M. Mason and F RED OHE, citizens of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Fastening Devices, of which the following is a specification.

Our present invention relates to improvements in railway ties and more especially to the devices for locking the rails thereto, and it has for its object primarily to provide an improved structure of this character which is especially adapted for use in connection with railways such as used in mines or for construction purposes, the improved rail-locking devices being so constructed as to enable the rails to be quickly and efl ectually locked in position although when it is desirable to remove the tracks or alter them, these rail devices are capable of being readily unlocked, the use of spikes being dispensed with.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved rail-locking devices for ties wherein the gage of the rail is effectually maintained and spreading of the rails is prevented, this result being obtained in the present embodiment of the invention by pro viding a gage-maintaining member of a permanent length which extends transversely of the rail and is provided with portions to cooperate with the outer sides of the respective rail.

A further object of the invention is to provide rail-locking devices wherein each rail is firmly clamped or locked between cooperating rail-engaging members, these members being operated relatively to one another by suitable means, such for instance, as wedges, cams or eccentrics which means are located at the outer sides of the rails whereby they are conveniently accessible.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements, and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a railway tie equipped with rail-locking devices constructed in accordance with our present invention; Fig. 2 represents a plan view of a tie showing one of the rails locked thereto,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 7, 1909.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909. Serial No. 494,603.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several views.

Rail-l0cking devices constructed in accordance with our present invention are capable of use generally upon railways, although the present embodiments of the invention are especially adapted for use on what might be termed temporary tracks,

that is to say, tracks such as those used in mines or for construction purposes in which cases the tracks are frequently removed or altered, the improved rail-locking devices serving to facilitate the laying and removal of the track, these rail-locking devices, however, being so constructed as to positively maintain the gage between the rails and prevent spreading thereof and the locking means moreover are capable of tightening or adjustment from time to time in order to retain them in proper engagement with the rails.

In the present instance, the invention is shown in connection with an ordinary tie 1 and the usual rails 2. In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the rail-loeking mechanism for each tie comprises a relatively fixed locking member 3 which is preferably composed of a length of metal which rest-s upon the top of the tie and is secured thereon by bolts or other appropriate devices 4. This member is of a length sufficient to extend across the space between the two rails and has widened portions 5 toward its ends in the present instance which portions pass beneath the respective rails and have their outer ends turned upwardly and inwardly to form hooks 6 which engage preferably the outer edge and overlap the top of the base flange of each rail at its outer side. As the member 3 in this form of the invention is of a permanent length and the hooks or portions at its ends which engage the outer sides of the respective rails are permanently spaced at a fixed distance, it is impossible for the rails to spread, a

tendency due to the action of the wheel fianges upon the inner sides of the rail.

' A pair of recesses or slots 7 are preferably formed in the member 3 at points adjacent to the inner edges of the respective rails, and a pair of relatively movable rail-locking members 8 are provided the inner ends of which are provided with upwardly and outwardly turned hooks or projections 9 to cooperate with the inner edges of the respective rails. Portions of these movable raillocking members pass through the apertures 7 in the fixed member 3 and extend beneath the respective rails to a point beyond the outer sides thereof, and the outer ends of these movable rail-locking members are upturned to form hook-shaped abutments 10. These abutments are arranged opposite to the rail-engaging portion 6 on the member 3 and any suitable means may be interposed between these parts to effect a relative movement of the members whereby each rail will be locked thereto. In the present instance, we have shown a wedge 11 for each rail, this wedge being tapered longitudinally and is adapted to be driven into a position between the abutments l0 and the rail-engaging portion 6 opposite thereto. hook-shaped abutment upon the member 8, displacement of the outer edge of the wedge is prevented, and the inner edge of each wedge is preferably retained in position by forming thereon a longitudinal channel or groove 12 which is adapted to cooperate with the outer side of the rail-engaging portion 6. By driving these wedges in the manner described, it is obvious that the railengaging portions 6 and 9 will be brought together so as to firmly bind and lock the rail to the tie. In order to prevent loss of the wedges, a chain 13 may be provided for attaching each wedge to the tie, although this chain will not interfere with the manipulation of the wedge.

In order to prevent loosening of the wedges due to the vibration of the passing cars, each wedge may be provided with a suitable number of longitudinally spaced apertures 14 toward its narrower end and a pin 15 may be provided which pin may be inserted in the appropriate aperture after the wedge has been properly tightened. To prevent loss of this pin, a chain 16 may also be employed for attaching it to the tie.

Instead of employing a hook-shaped abutment such as that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, an abutment 17 may be employed such as that illustrated in Fig. 5, this abut-' ment being formed with an inclined or undercut inner wall 18, and a wedge 19 is provided having a similarly inclined outer edge to cooperate with the inclined wall of the abutment, the inner edge of the wedge being grooved as at 20 so that it cannot become displaced and the outer edge of the By providing awedge is held in position by the inwardly inclined wall of the abutment. A wedge such as illustrated in Fig. 6 may be employed which wedge is provided with the longitudinal groove 21 at its inner edge but the apertures for the wedge-locking pin are omitted although an aperture 22 is formed therein to receive the attaching chain. A handle 23 may be attached to the upper side of the member 3 in order to facilitate the handling of the ties in the laying and removing of the tracks.

In laying tracks with ties provided with rail-locking devices constructed in accordance with the present embodiment of the invention, the rails are laid upon the ties while the locking members 8 are shoved inwardly, the wedges at this time being removed. By moving the rails outwardly, the outer sides of. their respective base flanges will be engaged with the relatively fixed hook portion 6, the rails being thereby spaced at the proper gage. The movable raillocking members 8 may then be moved outwardly thereby engaging them at their inner ends with the inner edges of the respective rails, and by inserting the respective wedges and tightening them, the rails are firmly locked down upon the ties, spreading is positively prevented and the rails cannot possibly tilt. In order to remove the rails, it is only necessary to loosen the wedges, move the rail-engaging members 8 inwardly and then move the rails inwardly and lift them from the ties.

I have illustrated the invention as adapted for use in connection with the ordinary wooden ties, although it is obvious'that the invention may be readily adapted to metallic or other types of ties, the invention not be- 5 ing limited in this respect. I

It is also to be understood that while the invention is especially adapted for use upon temporary tracks, the invention may be employed upon railways where the tracks are 0 laid permanently.

We claim as our invention 1. Rail-locking means comprising a gagemaintaining member of a permanent length to extend between the rails and having portions to cooperate with the outer sides of the respective rails, wedges arranged at the outer sides of the rails and means to cooperate with the inner sides of the rails and actuated by said wedges to lock the latter to said member.

2. Rail-locking means comprising a gagemaintaining member adapted to extend transversely between the rails and having a pair of permanently spaced devices at its opposite ends to cooperate with the outer sides of the respective rails, a pair of wedges at the outer sides of the rails and means eX- tending inwardly beneath and arranged to cooperate with the inner-sides of the rails under the action of said wedges to lock them to said member.

3. Rail-locking means comprising a gagemaintaining member adapted to extend between the rails and having upwardly and in wardly turned hook portions at its ends to cooperate with the outer sides of the respective rails, means adapted to cooperate with the inner sides of the rails to lock them to said member and wedges arranged at the outer sides of the rails and operating between said hook portions and said rail engaging means.

l. Rail-locking means comprising a member having a permanently fixed portion to cooperate with the outer side of a rail, a relatively movable member having a portion to cooperate with the inner side of a rail, and means interposed between said members and arranged at the outer sides of the rails for operating them relatively to lock the rail.

5. Rail-locking means comprising a member having a relatively fixed portion to e11- gage the outer side of a rail, a relatively movable member having a portion to cooperate with the inner side of a rail and provided with a hook-shaped outer end, and means arranged on the outer side of the rail and cooperating with said members to lock the rail between them.

(3. Rail-locking means comprising a fixed member, and a movable member having portions to cooperate respectively with the outer and inner sides of a rail, the movable member having a portion to pass beneath the rail and provided with an upturned abutment, and means interposed between said abutment and the cooperating member to lock the rail between the members.

7. Rail-locking means comprising relatively movable members having portions to cooperate respectively with the inner and outer sides of a rail, and a wedge located at the outer side of the rail and interposed be tween said members for relatively moving them to lock the rail, means being formed at one edge of said wedge to engage one of said locking members which is adjacent thereto for preventing displacement of the wedge.

8. Rail-locking means comprising a pair of locking members having portions to engage respectively opposite sides of a rail, one of said members having a portion to extend beneath the rail and provided at the outer side of the rail with an abutment, and a wedge interposed between said abutment and the rail-engaging portion of the cooperating locking member, means being provided for preventing the displacement of the longitudinal edges of the wedge.

9. Rail-locking means comprising a relatively fixed member having a portion to support the rail and having an upwardly and inwardly directed hook portion formed on its outer end, a relatively movable locking member having a hook-shaped portion on its inner end to engage the inner side of a rail, a portion of said movable member being adapted to pass beneath the rail and the adjacent portion of the member first mentioned and being provided on its outer end with an abutment, and a wedge interposed between said abutment and the hook-shaped rail-engaging portion of the member first mentioned.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY M. MASON. FRED one.

lVitnesses L. E. STURGILL, Jon'N B. Emma. 

